THIS CAR POD! with Doug DeMuro & Friends!

Episode Summary: WhistlinDiesel Arrest, Koenigsegg Chaos, and the New Honda Prelude Costs How Much?!

Date: November 21, 2025
Host: Doug DeMuro
Co-Hosts: Kenan, Filippo

Overview

This extra-packed episode is a whirlwind tour through some of the wildest happenings in the automotive world this week. Doug, Kenan, and Filippo dive deep into the high-profile arrest of YouTuber WhistlinDiesel, dissect explosive Koenigsegg reliability drama, and react—mostly with jaw-dropped disbelief—to the pricing of the all-new Honda Prelude. From legal rants and $40k Hondas to badge-engineered SUVs, the pod stays both expert and irreverent. Automotive market updates, personal car-buying stories, and lively listener Q&A round out what the team dub “our biggest pod ever.”

Major Discussion Topics

1. WhistlinDiesel’s Arrest & The “Montana Plates” Tax Loophole

(01:04 – 15:01, Highlighted Rant 02:27 – 11:21)

• Background: Viral car YouTuber WhistlinDiesel was arrested for tax evasion, specifically related to registering exotic cars via a Montana LLC to avoid state taxes—then posting about it online.
• Doug’s Detailed Rant:
  • Admits to being a huge WhistlinDiesel fan; even bought a piece of his parted-out G-Class: “He is my everything. I mean this…he’s my favorite YouTuber.” (03:43)
  • Summarizes the legal particulars: Tennessee (and most states) do NOT care who owns the car—if it’s operated in-state more than 30 days, it must be registered there.
  • License Plate Readers: New automatic license plate reader technology makes enforcement trivial—states now track car location and duration with precision.
  • Insurance as the New Battleground: Utah law requires registration if insured locally—an effective closure of the Montana loophole.
  • Acknowledges some states (like Louisiana) have laxer laws, but “the beginning of the end for the Montana thing is license plate readers and the states actually trying to go after it now.” (06:52)
  • Expresses sadness for enthusiasts using Montana only for smog/inspection avoidance, not tax fraud: “Montana has been ruined by rich people who didn’t want to pay sales tax on their McLaren.” (08:09)
  • Debunks two common internet excuses:
    • “But U-Hauls are all registered in Arizona!”—Commercial vehicles have separate, apportioned plate rules.
    • “But sales tax on used cars is unfair!”—If you want the law changed, work to change it.
  • Bemoans WhistlinDiesel’s actual arrest (rather than a demand letter): “Any other state…you get a letter. Here’s your tax burden...Going and arresting a person…is idiotic.” (10:05)
  • Concludes: “If you’re still doing this…these states know what’s going on and this is not gonna continue to last.” (12:58)
• Memorable Quotes:
  • “God himself could own the car. But if God is operating the car in Tennessee for 30 days, he...has to register it.” (03:20)
  • “If you can afford the car, pay the tax.” (14:17)
  • “Follow your state’s guidelines and rules, please.” (14:33)

2. Koenigsegg Reliability Drama: Hamilton Collection vs. Christian von Koenigsegg

(16:14 – 21:14)

• Background: Steve from The Hamilton Collection publicly aired his grievances over Koenigsegg reliability; Christian von Koenigsegg responded directly via Instagram.
• Discussion Highlights:
  • “You got two interesting characters going at it here.” (16:35)
  • Koenigsegg’s unique situation: Customers can literally interact with the founder—a rare connection in today’s car world. “Imagine if you could have bought a Ferrari from Enzo...” (17:45, 18:47)
  • Reliability woes are “par for the course”—these are experimental, boutique hypercars.
  • Both sides make valid points: “I don’t necessarily think either of them are wrong. Hamilton’s got a legitimate problem…Christian’s saying ‘here we are. This isn’t Ferrari. This isn’t Toyota.’” (20:29)

3. Honda Prelude Returns—at $43,000?!

(21:14 – 27:44)

• Reveal: The new Honda Prelude—a two-door coupe based heavily on the Civic Hybrid—is priced at $43,195.
• Panel’s Reaction: Disbelief and light ridicule.
  • “$13,000 more expensive than the Honda Civic on which it’s based.” (22:40)
  • “This is one of the single worst strategies...We didn’t want this.” (22:45)
  • Direct price comparisons: The Nissan Z (400hp V6) starts at $44k; base Mustang and 2-Series are cheaper.
  • Consensus: The value proposition is “nuts” and “can’t last more than a year or two.”
• Memorable Quotes:
  • “If you buy one of these, you should absolutely do the Montana plate thing because you need to save every penny you can after wasting tens of thousands of dollars on the purchase price of this car.” (26:36)

4. Badge Engineering Mayhem: Nissan Rogue Plug-In Hybrid = Mitsubishi Outlander

(27:52 – 33:57)

• Explainer: Nissan’s new Rogue Plug-In Hybrid, for the U.S. market, is essentially a rebadged Mitsubishi Outlander—even with the same body, interior, and only minor cosmetic changes.
• Amused Outrage: “They’re reusing that exact design for their car ...they have a Rogue and then a Rogue hybrid that...looks identical to a car sold by a different manufacturer.” (28:42)
• Historical Parallel: Bizarre moments in badge engineering history—Scion iA/Yaris hatchback.
• Trivia and Niche Knowledge: Nissan owns Mitsubishi; Outlander’s 2026 facelift gives it slightly better specs not yet ported to Rogue.

5. More Industry News & Quick Hits

• Jeep Recon (EV): 650hp, 250-mile range, $65k. Panel loves the looks but wonders: “Who is buying an off road EV?” (34:00 – 37:34)
• Porsche Cayenne Electric: Fastest SUV quarter-mile, up to 1,160 hp on overboost; inductive charging innovation; range circa 350mi. (37:26 – 42:30)
  • “Why do we not...have the fastest car in this drag race? We’re Porsche!” Doug speculates on Porsche’s motivation. (39:06)
• Ford Focus and Fiesta Go Extinct: Last Focus built; Ford and Europe’s hatchback era waning. Nostalgic discussion. (43:55 – 46:38)
• Mercedes-AMG Models Discontinued: Strict EU noise regs and flagging demand axe C43, GLC43, GLA35, C63 by 2026. (49:21 – 51:33)
• Hyundai Crater Concept: Preview of a potential off-road Hyundai EV—panel believes it’ll come to production. (51:43 – 55:02)
• Volvo Ditches LiDAR on EX90: Supplier trouble, tech headaches (including iPhone camera breakage) prompt Volvo to scrap rooftop LiDAR. (55:26 – 57:13)

6. Personal Segment: Filippo in Japan

(62:18 – 65:43)

• Filippo shares travel stories from Japan: trains, rental Yaris (hated it), and creative musings about Tokyo/Kyoto as rearranged scrambles of one another.
• Panel marvels at Japanese car culture—a surprising number of American and European cars; distinct cross-cultural obsessions.

7. Car Buying Dilemmas & Anniversary Car Talk

• Filippo’s Hunt: Still on the fence for a 991-generation 911 or a 981 Boxster. Teasing from Doug and Kenan about his chronic indecision.
  “If this doesn’t end with you buying a car...I will never support you in anything.” (69:46)
• Kenan’s E60 M5: 10-year anniversary owned; spends <$1,400 on maintenance this year. Considers exhaust mod once it’s not a daily.
• Garage Space: Brief discussion of the panel’s various parking challenges, from cramped city garages to shared apartment structures. Doug’s home setup: 4-car garage with a Bendpak lift.

8. Used Market Highlights

• Jaguar F-Type: Now a $20k used car—“beautiful car for 20.” V8s and manual V6s at $25k.
• Toyota Supra (A90/Mk5): Recent stick/manual, big-motor models have a real following and strong used prices, “slept on” by some but unlikely to ever “be $20k cars.”
  “The modding community showed up for them.” (78:36)
• SF90 Ferrari: Still dropping in value (“should be a $300k car”), but Doug would choose a V12 Mercedes over one “until the day this is cheaper than a Murci.” (83:29)

Listener Questions & Rapid-Fire Segment

Selected Q&A:

• Why 993 Turbo over 996 GT2? (Practicality, desire for a “less raw” experience).
• What did the Urus do right vs. DBX/Purosangue (or Revuelto vs. SF90)? Lamborghini nailed branding, timing, and segment expectations.

Notable Quotes:

• “I live at the intersection of raw and insane. That’s where my house is.” – Doug, on his car collection taste. (85:11)
• “They started focusing on luxury. The 997 that really starts to feel like the Benz...” – On Porsche’s shift away from analog sports cars. (86:38)
• “Hashtag save Whistlin.” – Kenan, wrapping all things Montana/Montana plates. (98:42)

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Topic | Timestamps | |------------------------------------------|--------------| | WhistlinDiesel Arrest / Montana Plates | 01:04–15:01 | | Koenigsegg vs. Hamilton Collection | 16:14–21:14 | | Honda Prelude Price Meltdown | 21:14–27:44 | | Rogue–Outlander Badge Swap | 27:52–33:57 | | Jeep Recon (EV) Launch | 34:00–37:34 | | Porsche Cayenne EV Discussion | 37:26–42:30 | | Ford Focus/Ford hatchbacks End | 43:55–46:38 | | Mercedes AMG Models Discontinued | 49:21–51:33 | | Hyundai Crater Concept | 51:43–55:02 | | Volvo EX90 Ditches LiDAR | 55:26–57:13 | | Filippo in Japan | 62:18–65:43 | | Car-Buying Stories / Garage Talk | 66:01–91:26 | | Used Market Report | 73:40–80:47 | | Listener Q&A | 80:46–end |

In the Pod’s Own Words — Standout Moments

• Doug on shifting regulatory winds:
  • “You cannot get away anymore with the days of license plate readers.”
  • “This is kind of the beginning of the end for the Montana situation.” (06:51)
• On Honda’s mis-step:
  • “We didn’t want this...Are they joking?” (22:58; 25:12)
• Koenigsegg’s old-school allure:
  • “40% of, in my mind, what makes Pagani and Koenigsegg cool is that you can shake the man’s hand.” (19:41)
• Filippo, endlessly tortured by indecision:
  • “I would appreciate you guys supporting and helping me.” (66:18)
• Doug, ever the provocateur:
  • “If you’re still doing this [Montana plates], you’re looking at him. He got arrested. These states know what’s going on and this is not gonna continue to last.” (12:58)

Conclusion

An informational and delightfully chaotic episode bursting with inside-baseball car news, legal rants, market insight, and debate. Whether discussing tax loophole crackdowns, the privilege of boutique hypercars, or a Honda coupe priced like a luxury Z, the team’s unfiltered, expert banter makes this episode a standout for enthusiasts and casual listeners alike.

Closing note: “Remember one thing and one thing only: Free Whistlin—but if you do Montana, they’re coming for you!” (98:59)